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Annapolis Mayor Speaks About Shooting; Gowdy on Russia Probe; Obama Speaks out to Democrats; Oregon State Wins National Championship. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired June 29, 2018 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:30:32] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SELENE SAN FELICE, STAFF WRITER, "CAPITAL GAZETTE": I appreciate the prayers. I was praying the entire time I was under that desk. I want your prayers, but I want something else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: That's a survivor of yesterday's attack at "The Capital Gazette," urging action this morning after her colleagues were murdered right before her eyes.

The city of Annapolis still reeling, of course, as we learn more about what happened and more about the victims.

Joining me now is the mayor of Annapolis, Gavin Buckley.

Thank you for being here, mayor. It is an immense loss that none of us can imagine unless we have experienced it. What do you want the world to know?

GAVIN BUCKLEY, MAYOR OF ANNAPOLIS, MD.: I think that, you know, the world needs to know this can happen in anybody's town. This is a small town where everybody knows each other. We know the journalists. We know the first responders. You see it on TV and you think, well, that couldn't happen here.

We practice for this. Last week we had an active shooter drill. I watched the simulate of people being gunned down with head shots and shots to the chest. And then we watched the guys go through the drill and then go through and take down the shooter. And that was a drill a week ago. And then, today, we were at -- yesterday, we actually faced the real thing. And I think that that drill helped save some lives yesterday.

HARLOW: You had lunch with the editor of "The Capital Gazette" just a few weeks ago. And you have said these journalists that were murdered were like his family. For people who didn't know them, and we're looking at their pictures, remind us about them.

BUCKLEY: Yes. So, you would see these guys all over town. I mean they report on city hall events, which might be the most boring thing a journalist has to do. But, you know, they -- they're journalists because they love what they do.

And Wendi Winters was a fixture at every event you would go to. Every time you would go into the office and you would see Rob and the other victims. And, you know, you can't imagine the horror that they had to go through. And there was nowhere to go. It was a newsroom with just no -- not even any partitions in that newsroom from what I remember. It's just desks and nowhere to hide, you know.

HARLOW: You told my colleague, John Berman, this morning something that struck me, and I'm paraphrasing here, but you said, essentially, we have to stop hating each other and attacking each other because of that hate. In such a divided America, how do we do that?

BUCKLEY: I mean, I think we -- we've got to remember that we're all neighbors, you know. And just because you have a different opinion to someone else, or they have a different opinion to you, you shouldn't hate them.

I run from our city docket, two or three mornings a week at 6:00 a.m., I run with Tea Party guys and bleeding heart liberals and we all make fun of each other's politics, but then we sit down and have a cup of coffee. People, just because you are different, you shouldn't hate. And I think that locally that's why a lot of us guys ran, because, you know, locally, we think we can -- we can bring back love and hope and positive things to the country.

HARLOW: No doubt you can. And just seeing the paper on doorsteps this morning, the fact that those reporters were sitting in their cars, you know, moments after this happened, doing their job, reporting the news, making sure the paper got out there, is a sign and a testament to your entire community.

Mayor Gavin Buckley, thank you.

BUCKLEY: Thank you so much for having me. Thank you.

HARLOW: The House issues a deadline ordering the Justice Department to comply with subpoenas over the Russia investigation. Some conservatives even threatening to take drastic measures against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein if they do not get the documents they want in one week, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:38:33] HARLOW: News just in to CNN. President Trump's controversial pick to lead the U.N. migration agency has been voted down at its Geneva headquarters. Ken Isaacs came under scrutiny after a report from CNN's own K-File earlier this year and one from "The Washington Post" in February, revealing that he had shared anti-Muslim views on social media. One of the newly unearthed tweets, he wrote in it, quote, Islam is not peaceful. He did later apologize, saying he deeply regretted the comments. But it is significant that the president's pick has been voted down by that council in Geneva.

The House passed a resolution down party lines giving the DOJ one week to fully comply with subpoenas from the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees. They are demanding documents surrounding the counterintelligence investigation into Russia and the 2016 election.

Now, conservatives warn, this is the last straw before either holding Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in contempt or pushing for his impeachment. At the same time, a fiery hearing on Capitol Hill where Republican Congressman Trey Gowdy demanded Rosenstein end the Russia investigation, claiming it has taken far too long.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TREY GOWDY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: If you have evidence of wrongdoing by any member of the Trump campaign, present it to the damn grand jury. If you have evidence that this president acted inappropriately, present it to the American people.

There's an old saying that justice delayed is justice denied. I think right now all of us are being denied. Whatever you got, finish it the hell up, because this country is being torn apart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:40:09] HARLOW: You'll remember Trey Gowdy as the chair who led the House Select Committee's investigation on Benghazi. That lasted more than two years. It did result in no criminal indictments. The point is, though, that lasted a long time as well.

Our legal analyst Shan Wu is with me now.

Look, they say this is going on too long. The Benghazi probe went on a really long time and you didn't have criminal indictment, so that's noteworthy.

Here is how Rosenstein shot back yesterday to those who threatened to hold him in contempt. Quote, he said, there are mechanisms to resolve this without threatening to hold people in contempt. We are not in contempt of this Congress. We are not going to be.

Are there legal grounds, do you believe, to hold him in contempt?

SHAN WU, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Probably not. And I think it's important for us to remember that in June, I think it was 2012, Attorney General Eric Holder was held in both civil and criminal contempt by the Congress.

There's some similar analogies here. Rosenstein is, of course, standing in for the AG who recused himself. And like the previous situation with Congress, this DOJ has turned over documents. Under Holder, they had turned over thousands of documents and testified repeatedly in front of Congress, just as Rosenstein did yesterday.

So the measure that they voted actually has no legal enforcement. If they do hold him in contempt, it won't be the first time that a person has been held in contempt.

HARLOW: Then why -- I mean you're saying that what the House voted strictly down party lines, yesterday, by the way, to this resolution that demands all of the documents surrounding that -- the investigation about in 2016, the beginning of the Russia probe around the election, you're saying it has no teeth? I mean it does nothing to force the hand of the Department of Justice here?

WU: It certainly gives them a deadline, I think, of July 6th, and it's when that deadline passes they would then have to vote to hold him in contempt.

HARLOW: Right.

WU: And if he's held in contempt, what's interesting is it would go to a court, and in the Holder situation, it went to Judge Jackson, who's the same judge in D.C. who is overseeing the trial on Manafort there, so it's interesting. And she, of course, did not hold Holder in contempt.

HARLOW: Right.

WU: She felt that there was sufficient progress going on.

HARLOW: What are the legal remedies for the Department of Justice, I mean, for Rosenstein, if impeachment proceedings began, if he was held in contempt? Is it really just up -- at least in the contempt charge, I guess, this judge. What about -- what about -- you know, what mechanisms he has to fight back against potential impeachment proceedings?

WU: Really, the -- you know, impeachment proceedings are entirely political. So the department's office of legal counsel would probably defend him and they would have to basically gear up for the impeachment proceedings.

I think the first thing that would probably happen is it would be reviewed by a court with regards to the contempt. And, of course, with the midterm elections coming up, all of that's very good publicity for the Republican Party to use.

HARLOW: Sure.

So, given that, it's unfortunate that some of these things become political shows on both sides. Where does it leave Rosenstein now? I mean your assessment after that fiery hearing yesterday, does it help him? Does it hurt him?

WU: I think it adds some pressure to him and the department, but I think the sense we get from Rosenstein is, he is increasingly more confident of his position.

HARLOW: Yes.

WU: And I think he can reliably rest on the fact that Mueller is making progress. I mean it's hardly a slow investigation. And I think he's more confident. And I think he'll continue to resist.

HARLOW: You could see that yesterday with the glad-handing and the smiling and the, you know, just casually chatting when there were breaks from this contentious hearing. I think you're right. It's interesting.

Shan Wu, thank you.

WU: Good to be here. Good to see you.

HARLOW: All right, we're now hearing from the family of Antwon Rose for the first time since charges were filed against the police officer who shot and killed him. Prosecutors have charged Michael Rosfeld, an east Pittsburgh police officer, with criminal homicide. Seventeen- year-old Rose was riding in a car that police thought was involved in an earlier drive-by shooting. After the car was pulled over, he was shot in the face, in the arm, and in the back -- it was the shot to the back that killed him -- all as he was trying to run away. His mother and his sister spoke to CNN earlier this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYRA JAMISON, SISTER OF ANTWON ROSE: We just want justice for my brother at the end of the day, because my mom, she lost her only son. My daughter, she lost her uncle and her role model. I lost my brother and my best friend.

He did not deserve that.

MICHELLE KENNEY, MOTHER OF ANTWON ROSE: I really thought that if he became a lawyer, he would change the world. Hopefully, through this tragedy, though, he does change the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: The officer's attorney told our affiliate WTAE that his client is in counseling right now. Of course, we'll keep you updated on that story.

[09:45:03] He's back! Former President Obama has a message for Democrats -- get to work.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Former President Barack Obama with some tough love for Democrats, telling his party to stop all the moping and get to work. At a fundraiser last night in Los Angeles, the former president -- former president said, quote, if you're one of those folks who's watching cable news at your cocktail parties and your friends and you're saying civilization is collapsing and you are nervous and worried, but that is not where you are putting all of your time, energy and money, then either you don't actually think civilization is collapsing or you're not pushing yourself hard enough and I would push harder.

[09:50:04] Dan Merica joins me now.

Look, Dan, you were there at the fundraiser. For a president who -- former president who has not called -- name checked President Trump for example and sort of stayed out of this, he got in it last night. DAN MERICA, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Yes, he actually didn't name check the president last night as well. He stayed out of the political fray. In some ways, much like he has for the last 18 months, where we're told he's been doing two things, working on his book that is forthcoming, and working on the foundation that will eventually house his presidential library.

But his message to Democrats was very blunt, you can't just mope. You can't just complain. And that quote that you read exemplified what he was telling to a pretty Tony audience of 200 or so top Democratic donors at this gorgeous Beverly Hills home last night.

And I want to read to you another quote that he -- that he mentioned. This came right after Christina Aguilera had performed and he basically said, this isn't what politics is always like. And he turned to the crowd and said, we shouldn't expect politics to be entertaining all the time. And Christina Aguilera was wonderful, but you don't need to have an amazing singer at every event. Sometimes you are just in a church basement making phone calls and eating cold pizza.

He even went a step further and turned to the audience after what was about a 12-minute answer to a first question that was posed by DNC Chair Tom Perez and said, enough moping. This is a mope-free zone. So it seemed like a casual, more laid back President Barack Obama. He didn't have a tie on. He was leaning back in these overstuffed chairs. But he had a distinct message that he wanted to get out to Democrats, and that was, we can't just complain, we actually have to do something about it.

HARLOW: The timing can't be ignored here, right? Yes, this was a planned fundraiser, but this also comes, you know, less than 48 hours after we learned that President Trump will get to name a second Supreme Court justice. One of the most critical things any president can do and choices they can make.

Did you get a sense, Dan, that President Obama feels even more urgency now given that?

MERICA: I actually did not get that sense. In the first question that Perez posed, he asked about the last week and he mentioned the Supreme Court opening. And President Obama didn't take the bait. He didn't mention the Supreme Court in his answer, which I said was about 12 minutes long. So he had plenty of time to answer. And he just ignored it and didn't -- and didn't weigh in, which -- which was -- which was striking because it was something that he clearly would have weighed in on if he was, you know, an active member of the Democratic Party.

HARLOW: Why do you think that is? But why -- I mean why stay away on something like that?

MERICA: I think part of it is that he believes in the norms that have held up inside the president's club.

HARLOW: Sure.

MERICA: So these former presidents who don't really go after each other, don't attack each other. You saw that with the way that Obama handled Bush. You saw that with the way that -- the way that the Bushes have handled the Clintons as well. And now you have a very close friendship between Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. I think he believes that that friendship and that club needs to stay intact.

I also think that he doesn't want to get into the day to day fray of the political arguments that are happening in Washington. But what he does want to do is urge his party to actually do something about what they're complaining about and not just sit back and mope.

HARLOW: And complain and mope, in his words.

MERICA: Yes.

HARLOW: Dan Merica, nice to have you this morning. Thank you.

MERICA: Thank you.

HARLOW: Minutes from now, the bail hearing for the man charged with five counts of murder at "The Capital Gazette" paper. We're following new developments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:58:02] HARLOW: After a thrilling series, Oregon State is crowned college world champions.

Andy Scholes has more on this morning's "Bleacher Report."

Good morning.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Poppy.

Yes, the Beavers beating Arkansas last night in a winner take all game three to win their third national championship. Definitely congrats to them. But, man, you got to feel bad for Arkansas.

Wednesday night, the Razorbacks were one out away from winning it all. They had a chance to end the game on this foul ball right here. But it was dropped in the middle of three of their players. Oregon State had new life. They then rallied to win game two. Hard to come back from that if you're Arkansas. And they really never did. Beavers freshman Kevin Abel throwing the game of his life, a two-hit shutout as Oregon State would win game three 5-0 to win the national championship.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What will be your most favorite part of this college world series?

KEVIN ABEL, OREGON STATE BEAVERS: That dog pile. It hurt. It hurt a lot. But I loved it. I loved it. That's something you dream about. And that's -- that's something I'm never going to forget.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: It was a pretty awesome dog pile.

All right, the World Cup continuing yesterday with a game that no one wanted to win. England taking on Belgium. Now, both teams were already through to the knockout stage and the loser of this game would actually end up on the easier side of the bracket. And Belgium would end up winning 1-0 on that goal right there.

And check out the celebration by Michy Batshuayi. Kicks the ball right into his face. I bet he didn't draw it up that way.

Now, there are no games today. And the knockout round's going to get going tomorrow with Messi and Ronaldo both in action. First game kicks off at 10:00 Eastern.

All right, finally, it's decision day for LeBron James. He has until midnight tonight to let the Cavs know if he's going to opt out of the final year of his contract. In the meantime, LeBron doesn't look like he's stressing about that decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEBRON JAMES, CLEVELAND CAVILERS: Let's go! Let's go! (INAUDIBLE). Let's go! Let's go!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:00:03] SCHOLES: Yes, that was LeBron cliff diving with his family somewhere in the Caribbean. So, Poppy, while all of us are on edge about where he's going to play next season, it looks like he's just having fun chilling in paradise.

HARLOW: Good for him.